Cold Rice Salad (Italian Style)
Transport yourself straight to Italy with this easy cold rice salad recipe! It’s loaded with wholesome ingredients: a delightful medley of crisp vegetables, flaky tuna, flavorful herbs, and tender whole grains to get you through the day.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 313kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long-grain brown rice - or white rice
- 1 yellow bell pepper - diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - diced
- 5 oz canned tuna - drained (either in extra virgin olive oil or in water)
- ½ small red onion - chopped
- ½ cup sweetcorn
- 1 cup canned peas - drained
- 5 sundried tomatoes - chopped
- ½ cup black olives - sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers - in brine
- ½ cup fresh parsley - chopped
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- The juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the rice, and cook it according to the package instructions (usually between 10-30 minutes, depending on the variety you choose). Check for seasoning and make sure it’s cooked “al dente.” It still needs a bit of bite to it. Drain and set aside to cool.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare your vegetables. Dice the yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Chop the sundried tomatoes, black olives, and fresh parsley.
- Drain the canned tuna, sweetcorn, peas, and capers.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, sea salt, and lemon juice until well combined.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled rice, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, tuna, red onion, sweetcorn, peas, sundried tomatoes, black olives, capers, and chopped parsley.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well mixed and coated in the dressing. Check for seasoning, and adjust to your taste.
- You can serve the salad immediately or cover it and let it refrigerate for a couple of hours. This will allow the flavors to meld together.
Notes
Note 1: You can add other vegetables or ingredients according to your preference, like cucumber, feta cheese, chickpeas, lentils, or any other type of beans.
Note 2: To make the salad even more flavorful, let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together.
Note 3: Always adjust the seasoning to your taste. If you prefer a more tangy salad, feel free to add more lemon juice or vinegar.
How to store: This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving, as it tastes much better closer to room temperature. It's a great make-ahead meal for busy days, and it’s perfect for potlucks and picnics!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Sugar: 6g